CVE-2010-3173 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
The SSL implementation in Mozilla Firefox before 3.5.14 and 3.6.x before 3.6.11, Thunderbird before 3.0.9 and 3.1.x before 3.1.5, and SeaMonkey before 2.0.9 does not properly set the minimum key length for Diffie-Hellman Ephemeral (DHE) mode, which makes it easier for remote attackers to defeat cryptographic protection mechanisms via a brute-force attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/27/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2010-3173 represents a critical weakness in the cryptographic implementation of several Mozilla applications including Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey. This flaw specifically affects the Diffie-Hellman Ephemeral key exchange mechanism used during SSL/TLS connections, where the minimum key length parameters are not properly enforced during the cryptographic handshake process. The issue stems from the software's failure to adequately validate or enforce minimum security requirements for ephemeral key exchanges, creating a window of opportunity for attackers to exploit weaker cryptographic parameters.
The technical flaw manifests in the improper configuration of Diffie-Hellman parameters within the SSL implementation, allowing attackers to potentially force connections to use weaker key lengths than intended. This vulnerability operates at the cryptographic protocol level and specifically targets the ephemeral key exchange component that is essential for establishing secure communication channels. The weakness enables an attacker to perform brute-force attacks against the reduced key space, making it significantly easier to compromise the cryptographic protection mechanisms that should be in place to secure network communications. This issue falls under the category of weak cryptographic key generation and parameter selection as classified by CWE-327, which specifically addresses the use of weak or insufficient cryptographic keys.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it directly undermines the fundamental security guarantees that SSL/TLS protocols are designed to provide. Remote attackers can exploit this weakness to conduct man-in-the-middle attacks, decrypt sensitive communications, or perform session hijacking operations against users of affected software versions. The vulnerability affects a wide range of Mozilla products and their respective versions, creating a significant attack surface across multiple applications that millions of users rely upon for secure web browsing and email communication. This weakness particularly impacts the confidentiality and integrity of data transmitted over secure connections, as the reduced key length makes cryptographic attacks more feasible and time-efficient for adversaries.
Organizations and users should immediately update to the patched versions of affected software to mitigate this vulnerability, with Firefox 3.5.14 and 3.6.11, Thunderbird 3.0.9 and 3.1.5, and SeaMonkey 2.0.9 being the minimum recommended versions. The mitigation strategy should also include monitoring network traffic for potential exploitation attempts and implementing additional security controls such as certificate pinning where appropriate. Security teams should consider conducting vulnerability assessments to identify any systems still running affected versions of these applications, as the impact extends beyond individual user devices to potentially compromise entire network infrastructures that rely on secure communications. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper cryptographic parameter configuration and highlights the need for continuous security auditing of cryptographic implementations within widely deployed software applications.